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Anime/Manga/Game Industry Celebrates April Fool's Day 2017 - Part II

posted on 2017-03-31 16:45 EDT by Lynzee Loveridge

It's that time of the year again: the cherry blossoms fall, and the April Fool's pranks fly. Japan's anime, manga and video game industries are fun-loving enough to participate in this tradition every year. Here are 2017's best anime-related April Fool's pranks.

B-Project

The idols of B-Project become the youngest idols ever...for "Baby Project." The site has a poll to vote for which baby should become an adult. The top three will get special photos.
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Girls und Panzer

Characters Alice Shimada and Maho Nishizumi are debuting as the idol unit "Boko Sisters." The girls are going all out with a week-long event, tanks, CD single, and more.
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Hanayamata

The amateur band "Need Cool Quality" will make their major debut. The revealed CD jacket bares a close resemblance to The Beatles' "Please Please Me" album.
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Hell Girl

The series starring the infernal Enma Ai has seen the light. "Tengoku Shōjo" (Heavenly Girl) asks "Moppen, ikite miru?" ("Would you like to give life a try, again?") [Link]

Ikemen Series

CYBIRD's Ikemen games are trying out some new genres. The company's Magical Days game will get a suspense-horror film, the site is also holding a general election to judge its character's butts in jeans, and finally, it will launch a vampire series starring famous historical figures.
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Kuroko's Basketball

Marginal #4

New Game

The anime is reimagined as a fantasy tale where Aoba has already overthrown the demon king but finds that an even more powerful demon needs to be defeated.
[Link]

Nippon Ichi Software

Company employees show how to properly cook your fish. This is just the latest installment in the company's ongoing April Fool's joke referencing Honō no Ryōrijin Cooking Fighter Hao
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The Prince of Stride

The site has changed to an obvious reference to AKB48 as POS48 (unfortunate acronymn...) with detailed member information. Like the real-life idol group, the site is holding a popularity contest.
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Rejet x Kemono Friends

The characters from Diabolik Lovers, Margina #4 and more get animal counterparts ala Kemono Friends
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The Royal Tutor

The website is promoting the merits of turtlenecks. The fictional country in the series will sell the turtlenecks for 61,800,000 yen (6180 is read ro-i-ya-ru; or "royal").
[Link]

Sakura Quest

The anime is taking the "quest" part literally and launched a classic-RPG inspired website where Yoshino Koharu battles a Chupacabra.
[Link]

Show by Rock

The anime will get a "Ailane the Dark Witch: Bud Virgin Logic Trilogy" spin-off.
[Link]

Thunderbolt Fantasy x Tōken Ranbu

In a collaboration that seems too good to be true, the sword boys of Tōken Ranbu become puppets in the same style as Thunderbolt Fantasy.

TsukiPro x Isobe Isobee Monogatari: Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo

MOVIC posted an image on Twitter of the boys from TsukiPro drawn in the style of Isobe Isobee Monogatari: Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo. The characters traveled back in time to the Edo period. If the tweet is shared enough times, MOVIC promises that audio drama stories about the scenario will be created. [Link]

Tsukiuta

Uta no Prince-sama

The website becomes "Prince Cat" and begins with a interactive game.
[Link]

Yuri Fan Sanctuary

Animate teases opening a "Yurimate," a store specializing just in yuri goods. The site says it'll open on April 15 but the address is the same as Animate's Ikebukuro store.
[Link]

Yuri on Ice x Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul

The official Twitter account for Yuri on Ice announced that Victor will stand in for Favaro's role in the upcoming Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul anime. Both series are animated by MAPPA.
[Link] (Thanks to CrowLia)

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